In-reply-to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Somebody wrote: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > On Tue, May 26, 1998 at 10:15:58PM -0600, Lazar Fleysher wrote: > > >> Is it possible to create a file system on a tape drive ( like on > > >> mainframes) and use it as a disk? I know it is very slow, but is it > > >> possible? > > > > > > ... > > > > QIC tapes (FTAPE) use the floppy disk controller and are formatted like > > floppy disks with 'tracks' and 'sectors' and so are block replaceable. > > This means that they CAN hold a random access file system just like disks, > > only SLOWER. > > Don't be too sure. Most tape drives only allow to write appending to the > *end* of > any data already written, so even if random positioning is possible the > device is > fairly useless. It's an (probably) unnecessary limitation somewhere in the system. I was able to make a file system on a floppy tape (with mke2fs, I believe). When I tried to mount the file system, mount complained that the tape wasn't a block device. Given the mke2fs ran without complaining, it didn't see any problem with treating the floppy tape as a block device. I would guess that mke2fs or whatever library or system calls it uses incorrectly assume that a tape is not a block device. Daniel -- Daniel Barclay [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Gee, look at that: http://www.anonymizer.com/snoop.cgi ) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
